Perceptions of Individual and Community Well-Being Among Rural Nebraskans

Many rural communities have experienced population growth during the past decade and the state has experienced relatively stable economic conditions during the past year. How do rural Nebraskans feel about their community? Are they satisfied with the services provided? Are they planning to move from their community next year? How do rural Nebraskans perceive their quality of life? Do their perceptions differ by community size, the region in which they live, or their occupation? This report details 2,680 responses to the 2007 Nebraska Rural Poll, the twelfth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions about their community and individual well-being. Trends for some of these questions are examined by comparing data from the eleven previous polls to this year’s results. For all questions, comparisons are made among different respondent subgroups, that is, comparisons by age, occupation, region, etc. Based on these analyses, some key findings emerged: • During the past four years, the proportion of rural Nebraskans that have viewed positive change in their communities has increased. Following a seven year period of general decline, the proportion saying their community has changed for the better increased from 23 percent in 2003 (the lowest point over the twelve year period) to 33 percent this year. (page 3) • By many different measures, rural Nebraskans are positive about their community. -Many rural Nebraskans rate their community favorably on its social dimensions. Many rural Nebraskans rate their communities as friendly (72%), trusting (59%) and supportive (65%). (page 10) -Many rural Nebraskans express positive sentiments about their community. Approximately two-thirds (67%) agree with the statement that “my community is very special to me.” And 62 percent agree with the statement that “I feel I can really be myself in my community.” (page 13) -One-half of rural Nebraskans say it would be difficult to leave their community. Fifty percent say it would be difficult for their household to leave their community. Approximately one-third (32%) indicate it would be easy for their household to leave their community and 18 percent gave a neutral response. (page 14) • Rural Nebraskans continue to be generally positive about their current situation. Each year the proportion of rural Nebraskans that say they are better off than they were five years ago has been greater than the proportion saying they are worse off than they were five years ago. And, during the past four years, the proportion of rural Nebraskans saying they are worse off than they were five years ago has declined from 28 percent in 2003 to 15 percent this year. The proportion believing they are better off than they were five years ago has generally increased during this same four-year time period. The proportion saying they are better off first increased from 32 percent in 2003 to 45 percent in 2005. The proportion then dipped to 39 percent last year before increasing again to 44 percent this year. (page 6) • Similarly, rural Nebraskans continue to be generally positive about their future. The proportion that say they will be better off ten years from now has always been greater than the proportion saying they will be worse off ten years from now. The proportion stating they will be better off ten years from now has generally remained about 41 percent. This year, the proportion was 41 percent. Eighteen percent believe they will be worse off ten years from now. (page 7) • Following trends in previous years, rural Nebraskans are most satisfied with their marriage, family, friends, religion/spirituality and the outdoors. They continue to be less satisfied with job opportunities, current income level and financial security during retirement. (page 5) • While residents living in or near larger communities are more likely to view positive change in their communities, residents of smaller communities are more likely to rate their community favorably on its social dimensions and to have positive sentiments about their community. -Residents living in or near larger communities are more likely than residents of smaller communities to say their community has changed for the better during the past year. Thirty-eight percent of persons living in or near communities with populations of 10,000 or more believe their community has changed for the better, compared to 19 percent of persons living in or near communities with less than 500 people. (page 10) -Residents living in or near the smallest communities are more likely than persons living in or near larger communities to rate their community as friendly and trusting. Approximately 65 percent of persons living in or near communities with populations under 1,000 say their community is trusting, compared to 55 percent of persons living in or near communities with populations of 5,000 or more. (page 10) -Persons living in or near smaller communities are more likely than persons living in or near larger communities to express positive sentiments about their community. Fifty-three percent of persons living in or near communities with less than 500 people agree with the statement that my community is my favorite place to be. In comparison, approximately 40 percent of persons living in or near communities with populations of 5,000 or more agree with this statement. (page 13) • Except for a few services that are largely unavailable in rural communities, rural Nebraskans are generally satisfied with basic community services and amenities. At least 70 percent of rural Nebraskans are satisfied with the following services or amenities: fire protection (85%), parks and recreation (74%), library services (74%) and religious organizations (72%). On the other hand, at least one-third of rural Nebraskans are dissatisfied with the entertainment, retail shopping, restaurants, streets and roads, arts/cultural activities, local government and public transportation services in their community. (page 11) • Persons with the highest household incomes are more likely than persons with lower incomes to feel they are better off compared to five years ago, are better off compared to their parents when they were their age, and will be better off ten years from now. For example, 62 percent of respondents with household incomes of $60,000 or more think they are better off then they were five years ago. However, only 29 percent of respondents with household incomes under $20,000 believe they are better off than they were five years ago. (page 17) • Persons with lower education levels are more likely than persons with more education to believe that people are powerless to control their own lives. Forty-nine percent of persons with a high school diploma or less education agree that people are powerless to control their own lives. However, only 26 percent of persons with a four-year college degree share this opinion. (page 18